As requested, here’s at max quality the pretty awesome self-titled, only album by super-group THE MOB. This melodic hard rock outfit was assembled by Whitesnake guitar player Reb Beach, who asked King’s X Doug Pinnick to perform lead vocals, Winger band-mate Kip Winger joined to also produce, and ex Eagles Timothy Drury and Night Ranger’s Kelly Keagy completed the line up.
Sometimes super-groups doesn’t work at all, THE MOB not only works but delivers some terrific material of strongly guitar driven melodic hard rock with a certain darkness but with melody and catchiness as main focus.
After Winger sadly split in the early 90s, Reb re-directed his energies into new and different musical adventures that lead him eventually to join Alice Cooper, Dokken and finally the legendary Whitesnake, with whom he has toured the world over the past few years.
Reb was ready to get back to the recording and creative process after the warm feedback received by the release of his debut solo album “Masquerade” in 2002. Frontiers Records, after hearing some of the new material Reb was coming up with, encouraged him to recruit a new line-up and record an album.
Having easily already persuaded his Whitesnake bandmate Timothy Drury (ex-Eagles) to play on the new recordings, Reb and Frontiers began discussions on who would be the singer for this new mega lineup. During his tenure with Winger, Reb had already played and toured with King’s X and had become good friends with multi-talented singer and bass player Doug Pinnick.
Reb has stated on many occasions that Doug is one of his favorite singers so he was the natural choice for Reb and Doug immediately committed himself to the new band.
Soon after the writing process started to take shape, also thanks to the involvement of producer and Reb’s former bandmate in Winger and Alice Cooper, Kip Winger. Kip brought the band together at his studio in Nashville and had his good friend Kelly Keagy, of Night Ranger fame, taking care of drums and background vocals (he ultimately ended up singing lead on the album’s amazing ballad “The Magic”).
Everyone who has been waiting many years to hear the classic, more progressive yet melodic Winger sound back again can be happy with “The Mob”. True to the influence of melodic hard rock and with eyes firmly set on great songwriting and immense musicianship, this band really rocks.
“The Mob” could have been a great follow up for Winger’s “Pull”. In fact, Reb wrote some of the song during that period.
Musically speaking, the release is a powerful, fun, and a catchy blend of immense 80’s and 90’s Hard Rock from end to end. While comparisons to Winger’s sound have been made, make no mistake that this music is decisively harder and edgier.
For one, Pinnick’s lead vocals add a bluesy feel to the musical landscape. Additionally, contained within is some of the heaviest sounding bass playing ever heard from Kip Winger. Another plus is Beach’s guitar playing, consisting of heavy rhythms coupled with some of his best lead playing he’s recorded in years. There is no shortage of lead guitar shredding on this release; Beach is all over this sucker.
Background harmonized choruses are replete throughout, and are very well done, as is the production.
Highlights abound on this CD. Album opener, “One Track Mind,” is FM radio material from the get go, from a catchy chorus to Beach’s piercing lead. “Wait” is more of a mid-tempo modern rocker with a nice, fat bottom end, even though it ends with an unexpected, incredible scream by Pinnick.
“Never Get Enough” is another excellent track that starts out with a heavy Moroccan Rock type stomp and leads into a catchy Pinnick chorus played off of a harmonized chorus by the background singers.
Other highlights include a one and a half minute Beach “Guitar Solo” track, and a barn-burner instrumental entitled “Spaghetti Western,” which will have everyone forget the excellent “Black Magic” instrumental Reb did in ’92.
The release has two tracks, out of eleven, that can be categorized as ballads. Kelly Keagy sings the first ballad, “The Magic.” This track is very sweet and commercial, and I can’t help but sounds a lot like Night Ranger. And I love it.
This release is one of the finest Melodic Hard Rock releases of 2005. Fans of Reb Beach, especially, and/or Doug Pinnick, Winger’s proggy side will not be disappointed.
“The Mob” is well suited for those that like their melodies big and their rhythm rock solid. Music that gets you to hum a melody and move with the beat. The CD is almost out of print and quite expensive now.
01 – One Track Mind
02 – Wait
03 – The Magic
04 – I Will Follow
05 – Guitar Solo
06 – Never Get Enough
07 – Love Will Carry On
08 – Turn To Stone
09 – No Reason Why
10 – Spaghetti Western
11 – I Want To Live Forever
12 – The Magic [Remix] (Bonus Track)
Doug Pinnick – Lead Vocals
Reb Beach – Guitars, Vocals
Kip Winger – Bass, , Vocals, Producer
Timothy Drury – Keyboards, Vocals
Kelly Keagy – Drums, Vocals (Lead on “The Magic”)